Chapter 10: Bathing is Also a Task

Chen Jingle nodded. "Yeah, I just trimmed it today. The one planted in the ground had some branches broken off by the wind last night."

"Not bad! If I didn’t know better, I'd think you were a horticulturist. Pretty impressive," Chen Xiuyun said with a grin.

She had been laughing, but after a couple of glances, her expression shifted to one of seriousness. Without thinking, she sat up on the lounge chair.

Being a landscape architecture major, she wasn’t an expert in pruning flowers, but she knew the basics. Bougainvillea was common in the south, with various varieties, but they all had similar growth habits.

The bougainvillea in Chen Jingle’s yard looked well-maintained, with each pot boasting full blooms.

What impressed her more, however, was the pruning technique. Good pruning, along with proper care, was crucial for the plants to thrive and look their best.

From regular plants to potted horticulture, a transformation required careful pruning.

The meticulous pruning of the bougainvillea row was impeccable, as if done by an experienced gardener with a keen eye for beauty.

She was starting to wonder if she had made a mistake—could it be that Chen Jingle had a hidden talent for gardening?

She looked at him in surprise. He looked more like a literary type than a gardener.

It was strange.

But the plants really did look well-pruned.

Chen Jingle noticed her staring and waved his hand. "Pick whichever pot you like."

Chen Xiuyun’s eyes lit up. "Are you serious? Well then, I won’t be polite. I need something to decorate my desk."

"Of course, just take it as a return gift for the mooncakes."

"Alright!"

Chen Xiuyun dashed to the wall, examining the plants. She pointed at one and said, "I’ll take this pot of yellow bougainvillea, the golden one. It looks so festive. Is that okay?"

Yellow bougainvillea, a variety introduced from abroad, was hardy and easy to grow, perfect for beginners. Some found it a bit tacky, but others appreciated its vibrant beauty.

"Go ahead!"

Chen Jingle waved his hand dismissively.

Even if that variety was gone, he could always propagate new plants from the pruned branches in a few months.

"Thanks!"

Chen Xiuyun happily accepted. If she had bought this elsewhere, it wouldn’t have been as easy to find such a beautiful specimen.

It was a bargain!

She also asked Chen Jingle for a plastic bag to wrap the soil, planning to put it in her car’s trunk later.

...

"How’s the new campus? My friend came over for lunch, and we were talking about it. He said the new campus is coming along well?"

Chen Jingle handed Chen Xiuyun a tissue to wipe his wet hands.

"Yeah, it's fine. Of course, at the start, some things aren’t perfect, but it has everything it needs. Plus, it’s not far from the city center. Buses and taxis can get you there easily. It’s just that there aren’t many shops around, but in some ways, I think it’s even better than the old campus."

"People will bring in businesses soon, and shops will follow," Chen Jingle smiled.

"True."

Chen Xiuyun nodded. "I heard that there are lots of food stalls outside now in the evenings, almost like a little street. They might regulate them later."

"Is it chaotic?"

"Yeah, some stalls don’t clean up well, and the barbecue stalls stay open late, which has annoyed the nearby residents."

"They should definitely handle that better. Business is business, but rules should still be followed."

"Whenever you’re free, come over. I’ll show you around."

Chen Xiuyun said it in a way that made it seem like she was offering protection, which made Chen Jingle laugh.

"Okay, fine," Chen Jingle said. "But don't be 'mm-mm-mm,' just remember, the teacher’s college has a lot of pretty girls. It's hot now, so they all wear shorts, skirts, and tank tops. If you see someone you like, let me know, and I’ll help set you up!"

Chen Xiuyun grinned, her eyebrows almost dancing.

Ugh, creepy!

Chen Jingle just rolled his eyes. "Oh please, remember that high school girl you wanted to introduce to me? You told Aunt Er that you wanted to set us up, but turns out, she’s already pregnant."

Chen Xiuyun laughed awkwardly. "Well, that was... an accident! Alright, alright, forget about that. I'll definitely introduce you to someone good next time!"

"No need, I’m good!"

"Geez, you’re such a..."

Chen Jingle quickly changed the subject. "How’s work going?"

At the mention of work, Chen Xiuyun deflated. "Not great. Look at these dark circles. It's all the stress and sleepless nights. The freshmen just started, and there’s been a ton of annoying stuff. The school leaders in charge of our area are idiots—they mess things up and expect us to take the blame."

Chen Jingle could only laugh. "The world is a shoddy production."

"Exactly! But luckily, I haven’t had any particularly difficult or crazy students, so the luck’s been good," Chen Xiuyun said with a smile.

The two chatted for a while, but Chen Xiuyun couldn’t hold back a yawn and stood up. "Alright, my dad should be off work by now. I’m going to take their mooncakes to Grandpa and Grandma, then head back to City North."

"Stay for dinner?" Chen Jingle asked.

"No, I’ve already eaten before coming here. I’ll just sit for a bit and then go. I’ll try to come back on weekends when I don’t have classes."

"Alright."

Chen Jingle's uncle and grandparents lived together, and his place was closer to the village entrance, just over a hundred meters from his grandparents' house, with a few houses in between.

Chen Xiuyun waved goodbye, grabbed the pot of yellow bougainvillea, and drove off in her red car.

...

Chen Jingle closed the yard gate.

Just then, the tiger cub finally returned, meowing loudly, clearly hungry.

It probably still had some resistance to Chen Jingle speaking cat language earlier and hadn’t dared to get too close.

Chen Jingle grumbled, "So, you decided to come back? Why didn’t you respond earlier when I called you?"

"Come over and eat!"

He called again in cat language.

The tiger cub was still a little surprised, but it slowly walked over, confirming it was indeed its owner’s scent.

Chen Jingle swiftly grabbed the cat and gave it a good cuddle before serving its dinner for the evening.

Wow, this cat really can eat!

No wonder it’s so fat!

Just then, the system’s prompt for completing the dinner task sounded.

"Great job! You’ve completed the eating task successfully. Reward: Removal of acne scars."

Not bad.

After all, he was visibly getting more handsome, so what was there to complain about?

"Are there any tasks for the night?" Chen Jingle asked the system.

"After a day of hard work, I’m sure you’re feeling tired. Therefore, no more learning tasks will be arranged. The evening is mainly for rest, though you can also engage in some leisure activities."

Chen Jingle frowned. "No more learning tasks, so is there something else planned?"

"Such as bathing or sleeping. These are essential for your healthy growth."

"...Wait, bathing is a task too?"

"Of course!"

"Well, I want to take a bath now. Can you arrange the bath task for me?" Chen Jingle asked, testing.

"Sure! Bath time is here. A smart child like you must already know how to bathe yourself, right?"